The pressing demands of work and family commitments in a modem economy often encroach upon time traditionally set aside for meal preparation. Exacting business and recreational activities can make it difficult to assemble a nutritious and satisfying dining experience while still fulfilling commercial and social obligations. One alternative to preparing a meal at home is to dine out at a restaurant. Yet restaurant dining is not always an acceptable substitute for eating at home. Aside from the costs for food and tips, dining out requires all members of the family to travel outside the home. Furthermore, many restaurants require levels of dress and deportment which may not be suited for a particular family situation.
Carry-out restaurants provide the alternative of restaurant food in a home environment. Yet typically the food packaging of the carry-out restaurant is distinctively disposable and conveys an ambiance distinctly at odds with the home dining experience. Supermarkets and speciality take-out restaurants are appealing to the home meal replacement market by providing prepared entrees for eating at home. What is needed is a food container which is economical and conveniently filled by the preparer of the meal, yet which is attractive and not out of place in a home setting.